Wire holder



June 16, 1942. M Y 2,286,496

WIRE HOLDER Filed Nov. 29, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l @a 'ofi 4 97 m Ede/04b M Meyer awe/WWO Gttowaq June 16, 1942. M MEYER 2,286,496

WIRE HOLDER Filed Nov. 29, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ill Wm ,Fdwd M Meyer Patented June 16, 1942 WIRE HOLDER Edwin M. Meyer, Parkersburg, W. Va., assignor to Porcelain Products, Inc., Findlay, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application November 29, 1938, Serial No. 243,035

4 Claims. (Cl. 174--165) This invention relates to insulators and more particularly to the type known as wire holders in which a hole extends transversely through the body portion to receive an electric wire. Such insulators are generally used Where wires are brought in from a transmission line to a building or the like. Such wiring imposes considerable tension upon the insulator and its support particularly in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the insulator. My invention is not limited, however, to the specific purpose of dead-ending wires as it is well adapted to be used as a support for electrical wiring within buildings, on poles, and in various other places. Insulators of this type are customarily made of porcelain, although other materials may be used,

and it is desirable to utilize the maximum strength of porcelain which is only developed when it is placed under compression rather than tension. The present invention provides an insulator which is more resistant to dislodgment when in use and also provides means by which the material of the insulator where it holds the conductor is itself placed under compression with the consequent increase in strength.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an insulator with improved supporting structure for resisting stress incidental to the use of the insulator.

Another object of my invention is to provide improved means for attaching the wood screw to the body 01' the insulator.

A further object of my invention is to provide a structure which prevents localized torsion or other stress on portions of the porcelain insulating body during attachment of the insulator to a supporting structure such as a building, pole or the like.

,The above objects are obtained by the design of a structure in which the porcelain insulator body is maintained under compression between a yoke and a cross beam or strut in which latter the main web is parallel to the direction of the load and thus will have a larger section modulus resulting in maximum strength and stiffness. The yoke itself places the porcelain under compression at the critical loading zone for maximum strength.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of the preferred form of my invention as illustrated in the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved insulator, shown partly in section;

Fig. 2 is a side view partly in vertical section, on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the base of the insulator;

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the attaching strap and cross member;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a modified form of insulator, partly in vertical section on the line Ei5 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the insulator shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the base of the modified form, and

Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the attaching strap and cross member used in the modified insulator.

For the purpose of illustrating the principles of this invention the drawings show characteristic forms in which II indicates the insulating body member formed of a single piece of porcelain. constituting a knob of the generally desired form having a flat circular base I2. This body member is generally glazed. The base of the body member is generally circular in form as shown in Fig. 3 except where there is a diametrical channel I3 intersecting the rim of the base. Centrally of the base and extending upwardly from the channel is a small recess I4 preferably circular for the purpose of receiving the head of a lag screw or equivalent attaching member.

Transversely through the mid-portion of the body is a wire-receiving passageway I5. This is intended to carry the electric conductor and is of suitable form also to receive a tool such as an ordinary screw driver by which the wire holder may be attached to its support.

It will be noted that the passageway [5 extends in a direction at right angles to that of the base channel I3. A second passageway I6 extends transversely of the body above the wire-receiving passageway I5. This second passageway I6 is parallel to the base channel I3 and in the same vertical plane as indicated on Fig. 1.

The opposite sides of the body have parallel grooves II extending vertically from the passageway IG downwardly through the base and intersecting the base channel I3. The passageway I6 and the grooves l1 provide a saddle for a yoke I8. This yoke is in the form of a flat metal strap or the like and its ends extend into the base channel I3.

The base channel is adapted to carry a suitable cross beam or strut. As shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive this strut is in the form of an inverted box I9. The upper portion or bottom 20 of the age.

strut rests against the body. There is a peripheral flange 2| extending around this bottom 20 and downwardly toward the base of the body. This flange or web 2| extends in a vertical direction or longitudinally with respect to the porcelain body and the attaching means. It thus provides a maximum of strength and stifl'ness. The bottom 20 has an opening 22 shown in this instance to be square. This opening is intended to receive the attaching screw 23, the shank 24 of which has a square form corresponding to the opening 22. The head 25 of the screw is generally round and loosely received within the recess l4.

The ends 26 of the yoke l8 are bent inwardly cated in Fig. 2. The yoke l8 thus serves to clamp the insulating body II to the strut I9 with considerable compression. Due to the squared shank 24 of the screw the latter is constrained to rotate with the strut I9 and this in turn has an extended bearing surface between the web 2| and the adjacent side wall of the channel |3. It follows that the whole device is rigidly assembled and may be attached to a supporting structure, building, pole or the like with little risk of dam- In service, with the base I2 against the supporting structure, the strut I9 is free from the supporting structure but constantly drawn down by the screw head l4 thus maintaining tension upon the yoke l8. The ends26 of the yoke fit within a recess 21 of the web 2| holding the strut firmly against rocking.

Referring to the modification shown in Figs. to 8 inclusive the construction of the porcelain body II with its base I2; channel [3; recess l4 and passageways l5 and I5 is the same as above described.

The cross beam or strut in this form is made of two flat metal plates 28. wide webs 29 terminating in tongues 30. The mid-portion of the plates 29 are struck outwardly in an an ular direction to form a square bore 3|. This bore receives the square shank 24 of the screw 23.

The strut 28 in this form rests within the channel |3 with its webs 29 in a longitudinal direction as shown in Fig. 5. I

The yoke 32 has the ends 33 extending to the far edge of thestrut 28. A squared opening 34 is provided in each end 33 opposite the tongues 30, 30. The latter extend through the openings 34 and are struck outwardly as shown in Figs. 6

and 7. In this manner the yoke serves to clamp the body against the strut 28 in the manner and for the purposes already described.

The wire holder when made in the forms above described is cheap to construct and extremely serviceable. Its electrical characteristics are satisfactory and the porcelain body maintained under compression in service so that maximum These plates have and up within the web 2| in the manner indistrength results. The device is easily attached to a support by being driven against the latter and screwed into place with the base against the support and the strut and yoke under tension.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention it will be understood that various changes can be made in material and design without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the following claims.

What I claim is:

I. In an insulator, an insulating body having abase and a transverse wire-receiving passageway, a diametrical channel in the base, a second passageway transversely through the body parallel to said channel and above the wire-receiving passageway, a strut in extended contact with the base of said channel, said strut having a web extending longitudinally of the body and away from said transverse passageways, a strap passing through the second passageway and having its endsoverlying and interlocked with said web and an attaching means carried by said strut.

2. In an insulator, an insulating body having a base and a transverse wire-receiving passageway, a diametrical channel in the base, a second passageway transversely through the body arallel to said channel and above the wire-receiving passageway, a strut in extended contact with the baseof said channel, said strut having a downwardly extending flange at each end, a yoke pass- .ing through the second passageway and having its ends bent inwardly around said flanges, and

.an attaching means carried by said strut.

3. In an .insulatonan insulating body having a base and a transverse wire-receiving passageway, a diametrical channel in the base, a second passageway transversely through the body parallel to said channel and above the wire-receivingpassageway, a strut in said channel, said strut comprising two flat plates in face-to-face contact with spaced portions forming a central .bore longitudinally of the insulating body, an attaching means carried in and rotatable with said bore, and a yoke passing through the second passageway and having its ends interlocked with said flange, and an attaching means carried by said strut.

EDWIN M. MEYER. 

